Poor Old Drury in the Haymarket (BM 1868,0808.6110)

A satire on the transference of the Drury Lane company to the Opera House ('the King's Theatre in the Haymarket') during the rebuilding of the theatre, when prices were raised. A stout woman stands outside the theatre door addressing two young men (left), 'Town Crops', wearing cropped hair and extravagantly dressed in the manner of the bloods of the period, see BMSat 8040, &c. She has a basket of fruit on her arm, from which hangs a paper inscribed 'Having increased my Concerns and been oblidged to hire a larger Basket the Public are desired to pay 20 per Cent more for their Fruit'. She says, "We overflow every night - its such a charming place to take the Town in - we do nothing at half Price." The foremost crop answers, "Dont you! then it wont do for us, we can't stand to more, so we must Lounge the outside - tho' my Blood is in fine order for an inside kickup - a glorious Row [A row was a new word, the earliest instance in the 'O.E.D.' being 1787. Grose calls it 'a term used by the students at Cambridge'. 'Dict. Vulg. Tongue', 1796.] Dam'me." They wear their coats slipping off their shoulders, as the mode was, revealing ragged shirts, and carry short canes. Another stout old woman, a bawd supporting herself on a stick, stands with her back to the fruit-seller; under both extends the word 'Croppers'. She addresses a countryman who says to her, his hands in his pockets, "Father zent I to zell zix loads of Hay and to buy a Mare thats what I be come to Town for." She answers, "Good lack! how lucky! I deal in Mares - come - go with me to the Turk's Head, and I'll help you to a bargain, as pretty, a young, nice, going thing as you could wish for - Its well the Scene is shifted - something may be got by these Country Crops." Behind the first countryman stand two gaping wagoners, holding long whips. All have short hair.
The theatre-door is inscribed 'Pit' and 'Boxes'. Over it is a wide-open window in which stands Sheridan between two men; to one (left), probably Thomas Linley, he says, "You see a little management and you may do any thing with the Town"; Linley answers, "We thrive, Sir, and no murmuring, all are satisfied". The third (right), probably Kemble, addressing the street below, says, "We want Money as sure as I can say Dam'me". On each side of the window is a bill: (left) 'In private Rehearsal, the Masque of Croesus translated from the Italian by Surface & Co' (cf. BMSat 7510, &c), and (right) 'The Audience may depend upon hearing distinctly Mr Phillimore's Hearing being placed in the most distant part for that necessary Purpose.' Beneath, and above the head of the old bawd, is 'Poor \ Old Drury \ Haunted \ Tower.' These were the two plays (with 'The Pannel') with which the season opened on 22 Sept. The former, an 'Occasional Prelude', was a burlesque representation of the difficulties of removal from Drury Lane. Baker, 'Biog. Dram.' 2 October 1791

Etching